


Friends? (Frank Zhang & Nico di Angelo)

by TheSistersBread



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Egalitarians, Feminist Themes, Frank Zhang Deserves Better, Friendship, INFPs, Minor Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Nico di Angelo deserves better, Other characters exist, Sarcasm, Why are there literally no tags about him?, how to make friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29655291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSistersBread/pseuds/TheSistersBread
Summary: The friendship I didn't even know I wanted.
Relationships: Frank Zhang & Nico di Angelo
Kudos: 8





	Friends? (Frank Zhang & Nico di Angelo)

Frank Zhang looked at Nico di Angelo and he knew.

Knew he was hurting.

And so Frank decided it was time he remembered how to make friends.

Nico would likely appreciate his straightforwardness so he was going to start with a simple "Would you like to be my friend?"

Hopefully better phrased than that.

The problem was that Frank looked at Nico and knew they were similar.

He didn't know how he would befriend himself.

It had always been him reaching out.

Nico very obviously wasn't going to do that.

Maybe a little trying to engage him in conversation, spending time together?

Maybe not.

He'd look at someone as if they were mad if they ever did that.

A week later, as he took in what he was doing, he realised that maybe they didn't know of another way.

Frank didn't either.

He waited patiently.

It was hard work - he was impatient after all.

Still Nico hadn't cracked yet.

But Frank was determined.

The boy looked like he needed a friend.

Frank would try not to push him too hard - he was too kind for that.

When the boy finally came out with the statement, Frank was prepared.

"You don't need my permission to date my sister." he spat.

Frank was sure the boy would go off on a tirade about it but he cut in first.

"That's not why I'm here."

The boy recoiled, ever so slightly, and his eyes flashed as his mind whirred.

Frank wasn't going to leave him unbalanced for too long.

"I wanted to be your friend but I realised that I didn't know how to do it so I..." he trails off, shrugging.

"Wanted?" Nico questions.

If Frank had been feeling particularly eloquent, perhaps he would have replied "I hoped we were friends already." but he wasn't so, instead, "And want. I wanted to be your friend and I want to be your friend. Basically, I want to be your friend..."

The last part sounded more like a question.

Nico let it go. "Who says I want friends?"

Frank suppressed the urge to laugh sarcastically (humans were sociable animals after all and he recognised the longing in Nico's eyes) and instead came out with nothing. Instead he hunched a little and began to walk away.

The next time Frank saw Nico, it was Nico who approached him.

He was skittish and hesitant but he still said it.

"Does that offer still stand?"

"You make it sound like a business transaction." Frank joked.

If Nico couldn't handle even a bit of his personality - it wasn't going to work.

To his delight, the boy didn't even blink as he answered, "Who says it isn't?"

This was going to be fun.

Frank allowed himself to smirk - not smile for once - and responded, "Where's the receipt? I want to return you."

Nico was silent for a moment and Frank thought he'd gone a bit too far and was ready to start spouting apologies when Nico finally responded with, "I burnt it."

"I thought Pluto was your father not Vulcan?"

Nico shrugged but the corners of his mouth were curling up.

"You're smiling!" Frank accused childishly.

"I am not!" Nico returned offendedly.

Frank simply raised an eyebrow.

Nico turned away sulkily.

But he couldn't stop the slow progression of a smile.

Nico di Angelo looked at Frank Zhang and decided this was going to be glorious.

Still he reminded "This still doesn't mean I am giving you permission."

"Yes," Zha- Frank replied, "It's not yours to give."

Nico was going to enjoy this.


End file.
